Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA; Corwin D. Denney Research Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Neuroimage. 2021 Dec 15;245:118651. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118651. Epub 2021 Oct 18.
White matter fiber tracking using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) provides a noninvasive approach to map brain connections, but improving anatomical accuracy has been a significant challenge since the birth of tractography methods. Utilizing tractography in brain studies therefore requires understanding of its technical limitations to avoid shortcomings and pitfalls. This review explores tractography limitations and how different white matter pathways pose different challenges to fiber tracking methodologies. We summarize the pros and cons of commonly-used methods, aiming to inform how tractography and its related analysis may lead to questionable results. Extending these experiences, we review the clinical utilization of tractography in patients with brain tumors and traumatic brain injury, starting from tensor-based tractography to more advanced methods. We discuss current limitations and highlight novel approaches in the context of these two conditions to inform future tractography developments.
基于弥散磁共振成像（dMRI）的白质纤维束追踪提供了一种无创的方法来绘制大脑连接图，但自从追踪方法诞生以来，提高解剖学准确性一直是一个重大挑战。因此，在脑研究中使用追踪技术需要了解其技术局限性，以避免缺点和陷阱。本综述探讨了追踪技术的局限性，以及不同的白质通路如何给纤维追踪方法带来不同的挑战。我们总结了常用方法的优缺点，旨在告知如何追踪及其相关分析可能导致有问题的结果。在此基础上，我们回顾了追踪技术在脑肿瘤和创伤性脑损伤患者中的临床应用，从基于张量的追踪技术到更先进的方法。我们讨论了目前的局限性，并强调了这两种情况下的新方法，以告知未来的追踪技术发展。
